EP0933068A1 - Device and use for measuring, recording and monitoring of the temperature of mammals - Google Patents

Abstract

The device uses a tube probe (1) having a minimal diameter and an appropriate length for the size of the animal, which is anchored in the vagina or the rectum by a fixing (6) for an electrical conductor (4) connected to the probe, and a strap attached to the animals exterior. The probe includes a ring (12) through which passes a strap (13). The electrical conductor is connected to a housing (5) which contains the circuits necessary to digitize the measurements and to communicate at regular intervals with a radio transmitter, which transmits the measured temperature to a receiver. The receiver is connected to a screen or to a recording device such as printer or computer. The computer emits an alarm when the measured temperature exceeds a minimum or maximum value.

Description

The invention relates to an apparatus and its use to measure automatically at intervals regular body temperature in mammals and to communicate this data to a means recording such as printer or computer. In combination with a computer the system allows to automatically determine the deviation of the temperature, hour by hour, relative to previous days. The computer can also on an alarm signal when the temperature exceeds certain limits.

Measurement at fixed intervals and recording of temperature is very useful for tracking the course of certain physiological processes such as parturitions, heats, or certain diseases such as mastitis or pneumonia.

The difficulty in measuring the temperature automatically at fixed intervals resides first place in the application of a measurement probe which can be permanently installed on the animal for several weeks, without causing lesions or inconvenience to it and guaranteeing throughout the period a precise measurement at one or two tenths of a degree Celsius. Different systems for measuring temperature are known. A system to measure the temperature externally is described for documentary purposes in WO 87/01573 (s.a. Agritronics). A probe is applied to the animal's skin. This method has the disadvantage that the accuracy of the measurement depends too much on the insulation of the probe. A good insulation is difficult to achieve. Variation of ambient temperature can influence the measurement which makes the system too imprecise to make valid conclusions. Thereby the device is not very usable to follow the processes physiological considered here.

Others measure the temperature internally. Systems for attaching a probe to the vagina are described in several patents relating to methods to detect parturition.

US patent 3583389 (D.G. Harvey) and DE Auslegeschrift 2115162 (NDCH and Co.) describe a probe ovoid in shape. Others have tried to improve anchoring in the vagina. In DE Offenlegunsschrift 2618368 (Stern-Elektronik), BE 892016 (C. Dalemans) and FR 2413875 (L. Marchand) are described probes provided with strips or flanges in flexible material to solve this problem. The patent US 4651137 (D. Zartman) is based on a body expandable and according to FR 2436557 (L. Marchand) and 2565097 (R. Marchand) we use a spring mounted externally.

These systems all have the disadvantage that they are bulky if you want to obtain sufficient anchorage to avoid accidental expulsion. This leads to difficult placement and inconvenience for the animal.

EP A1 0068262 (Rheintechnik) describes a system to measure the temperature to detect when animals come in heat. The probe placed in the vagina is thickened e.g. ball-shaped. The dimensions of this thickening is not shown but it is appeared that a probe with a ball of a diameter of seven cm, placed on a cow, which represents already a major inconvenience for the animal, is regularly expelled. The patent mentions heat detection only as an application and does not give examples.

In BE 1007090A6 (F. Verdroncken) we write the usage of a probe with a frustoconical body. Retention in the vagina is obtained by a or more elastic ties that are attached on the sides of the animal to a belt. Although the probe is sufficiently retained in the vagina, a drawback is that the probe is bulky and that the different connections for electrical wires and elastics, are fouled after a few days with materials faeces, which requires frequent cleaning

The present invention contains a combination of probe and fixing system that go against of these disadvantages.

The fact that the application of the system is not based on the probe ejection but on the measurement temperature, allows space-saving execution and simple fixing. The probe can be shaped like a thin tube, causing minimal discomfort to the animal. The electric wire coming out of the probe to transmit the measurements is used himself to get the fixation. Defilement by the feces is at the same time very reduced which eliminates the need for cleaning frequent.

The probe is shown in Figure 1. It is consisting of a rigid tube (1) of metal or material synthetic of a length appropriate to the size of the animal to be monitored. The diameter is minimum, determined by the diameter of the electric wire (4) which goes inside the tube. An element (2) to measure the temperature is housed in a bulb (3) at the end of the tube. This bulb is preferably made of insulating material, e.g. synthetic material like PTFE, unalterable and harmless compared to the vaginal environment. Thread electric (4) of a length appropriate to the size of the animal connects the probe to a housing (5) attached to the animal and which contains a battery and the electronic circuits necessary to digitize the measurements and communicate them to regular intervals, e.g. every five minutes, to a radio transmitter. In publications specialized we find descriptions to realize these electronic circuits. The probe system and case form a whole which is rendered perfectly waterproof by joints and seals appropriate.

The probe is placed in the vagina over its entire length. Placement in the rectum is also possible. Fixing the probe in e.g. the vagina is made using a string (6) attached to the power cable about 20 cm from distance from the tube. For this purpose a strap (7) (Figure 2) is applied to the animal's garot. The strap is connected to a flexible material ring which went around the tail, by a link (9) made of textile or leather which runs along the column vertebral. The cable is fixed by attaching the string (6) at the end (8) of this link.

The strap (7) is also equipped with fixings (11) necessary to attach the housing (5) with electronics. When installing the system on the animal the electric wire is wound a few times around the link (9) so that it does not hang on the sides of the animal.

For some species such as horses, it appeared that they sometimes have to get used to the probe. To prevent it from being ejected first two or three days we use advantageously a probe as shown in the figure 3. It is provided with a ring (12) by which you have to pass a link (13), e.g. a rope, which runs along both sides of the animal and is attached on the strap. The link (13) can slide in the ring (12) and can thus follow the movements of the animal without exerting traction on the probe. After a few days you can remove the link and work only with fixing the wire electric (4) at the end (8) of the link (9).

Digital data sent by the issuer can be received by a receiver. Mating from this receiver to a computer provides excellent means for a clear presentation of results of the fact that the averages and data differences are possible automatically. In addition, the computer can warn the responsible well in time by an alarm as soon as a abnormal situation is detected by a value unusual temperature measurement.

The possibilities to control animals have advantageously increased by the system present. It allows a very precise measurement of the temperature because the probe is placed at a fairly deep in the vagina. The y probe is perfectly anchored and can stay in place for several weeks without being accidentally expelled and without causing any discomfort to the animal.

EXAMPLE 1.

Parturition prediction. (Table 1-a and 1-b) The fact that a cow's body temperature marks a marked decrease of about 0.7 ° C during more or less 24 hours before parturition, is known in the world of breeders and has been described in specialized publications.

A 26cm long probe was performed according to figure 1 with a stainless steel tube with a diameter of 7 mm. The bulb which contains the electronic element to measure the temperature is made of PTFE. The electric cable has a length of 1.65m and is provided 20 cm away from the probe a string which is attached to the end (8) the link (9) which connects the strap to a rubber ring around the tail. The system has been installed following the method described on a cow at the end of gestation. The probe was placed in the vagina. A temperature transmission was performed automatically every five minutes.

The probe remained in place for 14 days, until the time of calving, without having been accidentally expelled. The measurements were captured on the hard drive of a computer that had a program that gives an overview on the results screen for the past seven days.

Table 1-a shows in the first column the hours and in the following hours by hour the median of the temperatures recorded during this hour for the last seven days.

Table 1-b shows the differences in temperatures median with mean temperatures medians of the past seven days, still at the same time.

These tables, especially table 1-b, allow predict at a glance that parturition is close, the temperature being significantly higher low compared to previous days, and this for about thirty hours. The cow has calved between 6 and 7 p.m., approximately 30 hours after the start from the drop in temperature.

EXAMPLE 2. Parturition prediction with complication of mastitis. (Table 2-a and 2-b)

The same probe was installed on another cow. Five days before parturition, a considerable rise in temperature occurred. The manager was immediately alerted by an alarm from the computer when the temperature exceeded 40.3 ° C. He found mastitis in one of the cow's quarters and was able to take the necessary steps to treat the animal in time. After eight hours the temperature returned to normal and the cow calved five days later. Parturition was perfectly signaled by a drop in temperature for 27 hours. The udder showed no lesions thanks to the speed with which the manager was able to intervene.

Claims (10)

A device for measuring temperature body in mammals characterized in that it contains a tube-shaped probe (1) with minimum diameter and with appropriate length to the size of the animal and which is anchored in the vagina or rectum by fixing (6) the electrical wire (4) coming out of the probe at a link attached to the outside of the animal. An apparatus according to claim 1 in that the probe has a ring (12) for passing a link (13) which runs along both sides of the animal and which is attached to a strap on the outside of the animal. System characterized in that an apparatus for measure temperature according to claims 1 and 2 is connected by the electric wire to a box (5) which contains the circuits necessary to digitize measurements and to communicate them to regular intervals to a radio transmitter which transmits the measured temperature to a receiver. System according to claim 3 characterized in that the receiver is connected to a screen or to a recording medium like a printer or a computer. System according to claims 3 and 4 characterized in that the computer beeps acoustic or visual when the measured temperature exceeds a minimum or maximum value. System according to claims 3 to 5 characterized in that the computer calculates the averages or the medians of temperatures and presents the results on the screen. System according to claims 3 to 6 characterized in that the computer presents the deviations temperatures on the screen. Method characterized in that it uses the apparatus and / or systems according to the claims 1 to 7, to predict or detect the moment of parturition in mammals. Method characterized in that it uses the apparatus and / or systems according to the claims 1 to 7 to detect heat in mammals. Method characterized in that it uses the apparatus and / or systems according to the claims 1 to 7 to detect diseases in mammals.

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